


One Boring Evening

by yankeetooter



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Drinking Games, Flirting, M/M, Stripping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:01:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23303938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yankeetooter/pseuds/yankeetooter
Summary: Boris and Valery find an interesting way to while away the hours.
Relationships: Valery Legasov/Boris Shcherbina
Comments: 29
Kudos: 44





	1. The Rules of the Test

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know my title doesn't exactly inspire the reader to check the story out, but it will be worth it!
> 
> Time is one cold May evening shortly after the explosion at the Chernobyl Power Plant.
> 
> For all of us stuck inside, looking for something to do. Stay healthy, my friends!

After a warm start to April and a gorgeous May Day weekend, the weather seemed to have betrayed everyone. A cold half sleet/half rain poured down, leaving a chill to permeate one's bones and drive one to bed early.

It was a rare quiet evening, notwithstanding the weather. The helicopter drops of sand and boron were continuing with no further mishaps and now Boris and Valery were waiting for the next set of reports. But the flight scheduled shortly before sundown had had to be postponed when the cold sleet started. The helicopters couldn't fly in such bad weather.

The problem was, Valery was now pacing their shared hotel suite like a cat waiting for its owner to open a can of tuna. Normally he would have been poring over reports while Boris waited to see what was needed. That was the easy pattern they had fallen into: Valery analyzed and Boris provided.

But there was nothing to analyze and nothing to procure, and Valery couldn't handle the inactivity. Boris, on the other hand, had decided to ward off his boredom by drinking. But that didn't help with Valery's restlessness. Boris watched as the man paced back and forth, enjoying the opportunity to observe Valery while he was distracted. 

Boris was inexplicably attracted to the awkward scientist. Valery's unruly hair, his clumsiness, his ample arse and his protruding belly did unmentionable things to him. But this nervous pacing was getting on his last nerve. Boris glanced down at the bottle of vodka in his hand. Perhaps there was a way to occcupy Valery and have a bit of fun at the same time?

"Valery! Come and have a drink with me!"

Valery turned around and peered at Boris. "Boris, there's too much to do!"

Boris chuckled. "Not tonight there isn't! We might as well enjoy the reprieve, since there's nothing to be done about it!" Valery still looked dubious, so Boris played the ace up his sleeve. "Of course! You're worried that I will drink you under the table!!"

Valery visibly drew himself up. He might be more of a smoker than a drinker, but he could drink as much as any man, and he was never one to back away from a challenge. "Fine. I'll have a drink, but if there's any drinking under the table to be done, it will be done by me!" And he stuck out his lower lip like a little boy pouting.

 _Oh, how I'd like to bite that lip!,_ Boris couldn't help thinking. But perhaps that would come later. Gesturing to the coffee table in the suite, he invited Valery to sit across from him.

"So what are the rules?" Valery asked, all business-like.

"Rules?", Boris asked innocently, as if he didn't have a plan in mind.

"Yes, rules. If one is going to make a test of anything, you have to establish the rules of measurement first. So, how are we to determine who is the better drinker?"

 _Scientists!_ This was going to be easier than Boris thought. "Well, now, Valera, I don't know much about this. Sometimes people will drink until one or the other passes out, but I don't think that should be our goal."

Valery nodded, flushing a bit at Boris' using the affectionate nickname. He had passed out once from drinking too much and woken up lying in a puddle of vomit. He certainly didn't fancy dong that again. And if Boris passed out, he would never be able to lift him. 

He thought hard, determined to find a way to prove he was right. Finally, he shook his head, stumped. "The only thing I've ever heard of is between sweethearts. Some of the guys I went to university with would bring their girls back to their rooms. They played a game where whoever drank the shot of vodka the slowest would have to take off an article of clothing. Not, er...not that I ever stayed to watch. I only heard about it."

 _Of course, my bashful Valery!_ But Boris only raised an eyebrow at Valery and waited.

"What? Boris, surely you don't mean?..."

"What? It will be a bit of fun! You yourself said we needed a way to test your hypothesis. Did you have a better way?"

Valery shook his head, a blush traveling up his neck. He must be crazy considering this! He was not an attractive man and that was with his clothes on. Still...the thought of getting to see Boris with less than his usual three piece suit might be worth it.

"I'll do it!" he exclaimed, then blushed again at the obvious excitement in his voice.

Boris nodded back nonchalantly, as if he hadn't been hoping for this all along. "Okay, rules. One article of clothing each round you lose, but pairs of items count as one. So shoes, socks, suspenders, all count as one item." At Valery's nod, Boris continued. "It's the loser's choice what article they want to remove, but...the winner gets to remove that article from them."

Valery gaped at the last rule. But his hands so wanted to feel Boris' broad shoulders under his touch that he found himself acquiescing against his better judgement.

Boris went into the kitchenette and returned with two shot glasses. "Let's begin..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm making you wait for another chapter...


	2. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things escalate. (Well, obviously!)

As it turned out, they didn't get started that quickly. Valery had to measure each shot glass exactly to make sure each one contained the same amount of vodka. And then he suggested that they pour out a dozen sets of glasses so that even as they became more inebriated, they could be assured of a fair contest. Boris found himself sitting watching Valery meticulously pour some twenty or so glasses while his frustration grew. He wanted to put his hands on Valery, and not to throttle him either, although at the moment he felt he could have.

Finally they sat looking at each other, each with a shot glass in hand. "On the count of three then?" Boris asked. "First one to empty their glass and put it on the table wins the round."

Valery nodded, suddenly nervous. What had made him agree to such a thing? But there was no backing out now.

One, two, three, SLAM!

Valery's glass landed a fraction of a second too late, and Boris was walking up to him. "Er...uh, wait! Wait! My glasses!"

Boris rested his hands on Valery's cheeks, lightly caressing his earlobes, causing a shiver to run down Valery's spine. Valery closed his eyes and tried to get his breathing under control. Boris could have done anything to him at that moment, and he would not have protested one bit.

Boris kept up the caressing, enjoying how Valery leaned his face into Boris' hands. The man was putty in his hands. "Valera, are you sure that's what you want to choose? You won't be able to see properly for the rest of the game! Want to pick something else?" And still his hands teased at Valery's neck and ears.

Valery wasn't sure he cared anymore, except...how could he appreciate seeing Boris gradually undressed if he couldn't see properly. So, what to pick? "Um, my tie?"

Boris nodded and let his hands slide down to Valery's shoulders. His fingers ran along Valery's collarbone, eliciting a shudder. Slowly he raised Valery's collar and undid his tie, letting the material slide sensuously around Valery's neck. Then he fixed the collar and stood lightly rubbing at Valery's shoulders for a few minutes. "Ready for another go?" Valery could only nod mutely.

Boris sat back down. One, two, three, SLAM!

Valery sat in disbelief as once again his glass landed too late. As Boris began approaching him, he started stammering, trying to stall. "Okay, okay, just wait!" Boris' hands were on his shoulders again, and he couldn't think straight. "Okay, my suspenders." he said resignedly.

Boris took no less time in removing said suspenders than he had Valery's tie. His large hands slid under the suspenders and moved up and down Valery's back, teasing at the skin under Valery's shirt. He stopped a moment. Valery wasn't wearing a vest? Oh, how delicious! Slowly, he worked the suspenders off, imagining how he would like to wrap them around Valery's wrists and...he made himself stop thinking along those lines, at least for the moment.

At this point, Valery was totally undone, so that...One, two, three, SLAM! Again he lost. Now what? He wasn't very proud of how he looked without his shirt on. Boris would get one look at his belly and be turned off. And what in the world had made him not put on a vest this morning? Not that he had ever imagined he'd be playing a stripping game with Boris! As Boris approached once more, he thought quickly. "My shoes!" he shouted just as Boris drew up beside him. (Not that that didn't present another problem...)

Boris lowered himself to the coffee table, careful not to spill the many pre-filled shot glasses. He took one of Valery's feet in his hands and slowly slid the shoe off, letting the heel scrape along Valery's sole. 

Valery went rigid and sat very still. _Oh no!_ And worst of all, there was a hole in the big toe of his sock. He felt his face go beet red.

Boris glanced at Valery's discomfort. "Valery," he chastised gently, "I'm ordering you some new socks tomorrow." When he saw how embarrassed the scientist was, he decided to distract him. He ran his finger in through the hole of Valery's sock and wiggled it. Valery burst out laughing and tried to extract his foot from Boris' grasp. 

Boris smiled to himself and proceeded to remove Valery's other shoe, He found it endearing that the man was ticklish. He might have to explore that another time. But for now, he moved his hands up to Valery's ankles and rubbed at the tension in Valery's legs. Valery sat back and sighed.

Finally, "Are you ready to go again?" Valery nodded, a sort of fascinated dread in his eyes. He was losing miserably!

The look did not escape Boris' attention, and he felt some pity for the man who had thought he could best him at a drinking game. Perhaps...

One, two, three, SLAM!

Valery sat, his mouth agape. Had he actually managed to best Boris? Stunned momentarily, he slowly got up and approached Boris, trying to emulate the other man's cool demeanor. "Well?" he queried, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

Boris was relaxed. "My jacket," he offered. He was pleasantly surprised when Valery's hands slid under his jacket, moving across his broad shoulders. The man had a skilled touch for all his awkwardness. Boris sighed, enjoying the moment.

Finally the jacket was off, and Valery made to toss it aside. At a look from Boris, however, Valery retrieved a hanger from the closet and hung the jacket carefully.

One, two, three, SLAM!

"Er...my belt?" Valery offered, still determined not to bare his torso before he had to. 

Boris was all to happy to oblige. The next moment, Valery gasped as Boris' hands slid inside the waist of his pants. He squirmed as Boris' hands explored his hips and lower waist. One hand remained exploring while the other one seductively undid the buckle of Valery's belt. Then, slowly, Boris pulled Valery's belt through the loops, all the while his one hand teasing at Valery's bare skin. Valery leaned his head against Boris' arm, trying not to lose it. At last Boris pulled away.

"B-Boris? I, can we...that is, I think I need a cigarette."

Boris smiled and gestured for Valery to go have a smoke, chuckling as the scientist practically tripped over his own feet in leaving the room. Plus, Valery had to keep hitching up his pants, now without suspenders or belt.

"Don't be.long, now, Valery! There's more drinks to be had."

To be continued...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I meant to finish this tonight, but it's going longer than I imagined, and I know lots of people wanted to read more tonight. Plus, I didn't want to skimp on details so as to just finish off the story, so there will be one more chapter to come.


	3. The Winner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A clear winner emerges. Or do they?

Valery shuffled back in the room, pants drooping, after having had _two_ cigarettes, but still his nerves were rattled. Boris sat there with all his clothes on except for his jacket that had been removed. But as Valery watched, mesmerized, Boris removed his tie and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

Noticing Valery's look, Boris exclaimed, "What? It's warm in here, Valera!"

Valery nodded, completely entranced by the sight of Boris' bare forearms and wrists, and the little bit of Boris' chest showing where his top button had come undone when he removed his tie.

Boris indicated he should sit. "Ready?"

At Valery's nod, One, two, three, SLAM! _Boris had lost?_

"Let's see, my shirt."

_What? Why wouldn't Boris pick his shoes or something else?_

Valery strode up eagerly, then stopped, momentarily confused. "But, Boris? You still have your suspenders on!"

Boris chuckled. "Why, so I do! Ah well, fair is fair and I already said my shirt." He reached up and undid his suspenders, then sat waiting for Valery to continue.

Valery licked his lips nervously and reached for Boris' buttoned shirt. His hands were trembling so much it took forever to undo the buttons. After a minute or two of his struggling, he gasped to feel Boris' fingers on his earlobes again.

"Are you alright, Valera? Is the drink impeding you?". And all the while those powerful hands cupped his cheeks, the fingers lightly tracing his ears and the spot right below them.

Valery groaned. Giving in to the moment he leaned his head against Boris' partially bared chest. Boris' scent, strong and masculine, engulfed him.

But this action had an unexpected effect. Boris, suddenly aware of Valery's breath wafting against his chest and traveling down his vest, stopped teasing at the scientist's ears and gently stood him upright.

"Continue," he gruffly instructed Valery. _If the two of them weren't careful, neither one of them would see the end of this game._

And so Valery's trembling hands went back to working on the obstacle of Boris' buttons. At last he was finished and reached for Boris' left wrist to pull off that sleeve. Grasping Boris' wrist, he looked up at the apparatchik, startled when he felt Boris' racing pulse, but Boris only smiled back at him.

_That's right, Valera! See what you're doing to me!_

Then Valery found another obstacle. Boris' shirt was snugly tucked into his pants, his belt firmly cinched. He tried to pull Boris' shirt out, but was struggling.

Again that seductive chuckle sounding close in his ear. "You might as well remove my belt, my Valerka!"

If Valery's hands had been shaking while undoing Boris' shirt, it was nothing compared to now. He fumbled with Boris' belt buckle so much that eventually Boris had to take Valery's hands in his and lean in close. 

"Breathe, Valery, breathe!" Boris' breath caressed Valery's neck, who could only lean back into Boris. 

Eventually Valery was able to get himself under control and undo Boris' belt. The shirt then came off easily. _Of course Boris wore a vest today. I'm sure he does everyday like clockwork._ Still, the view was very nice. Boris had a bit of a paunch, but it actually added to his appeal. And Valery now had an unrestricted view of Boris' well toned arms and muscular chest. He could have stood there all night admiring the sight of Boris, but finally was reminded of the ongoing contest by Boris' gentle nudge towards the couch.

Now the score was: Valery with his socks, shirt and pants on, with Boris still having his vest, pants, shoes and socks on. Amazingly enough, Boris lost once again. _Could it be? Was the vodka actually starting to affect Boris?_ But when Valery glanced up suspiciously, Boris' eyes were clear and bright, humor dancing in them. 

"What? You've won again Valera! Okay, how about my pants!"

 _What was Boris playing at?_ Determination steeled Valery. He was going to win this game yet! He undid Boris' pants and slid them down to his ankles, his hands running down Boris' thighs and calves. Boris gave a deep sigh. But when Valery tried to slide the pants over Boris' shoes, Boris barked, "No, you'll ruin them. The shoes first!"

Valery was definitely getting suspicious. Boris had lost several rounds now but showed no signs of being drunk. Not only that, but three times now Boris had picked an article of clothing that required Valery to remove something else first. _Was Boris throwing the game?_

Valery felt his temper rise a bit. He didn't need Boris' help! He could win on his own! In revenge, he let his fingers stroke Boris' soles as he removed his shoes and was rewarded by a chuckle from Boris, followed by the man firmly planting his feet on the ground. But Valery got a few more playful tickles in when Boris had to lift his feet to have his pants discarded.

"Is that how you want to play it, Valera?" The question was asked in a low purr that sent a tingle down Valery's spine. He knew he was asking for it now. He had better win the next round!

One, two, three, SLAM!

That was it, then. Valery had lost this round. What to choose? His options were limited. He wasn't about to pick his pants. That left his shirt, with his embarrassing belly, or his socks. He really shouldn't have provoked Boris a few moments ago. But he was still ashamed of his physique, especially after seeing Boris' beautiful body.

"My socks," he said, resigned.

Boris practically leapt across the room. "Oh, come off it Valery! What are you so ashamed of?" So saying, he grabbed a fistful of Valery's shirt in one hand while undoing the buttons nimbly with his other. Valery squirmed, whimpering a bit in anticipation of what he was sure would be Boris' disgusted look. 

And then the shirt had been removed, and Valery could only stand head down, waiting in dread. He was totally caught off guard when Boris exhaled appreciatively and began to caress his shoulders, his fingers slowly traveling south. Those hands playfully tweaked Valery's nipples in playful revenge for a few moments before, eliciting a squeak from Valery. Then they slid down and encompassed his belly, gently squeezing it. 

"What were you ashamed of Valery? You are beautiful!"

Valery had to catch back a sob as Boris' hands continued their caressing. _Could it be? Did Boris actually find his chubbiness attractive?_ Any last doubts were erased when Boris' hands circled his waist to grab his plump ass through his pants. Suddenly, Valery's loosened pants were sliding down around his ankles. Valery let out a gasp in protest.

Boris gestured to the table, which now held only empty shot glasses. "Valerka, enough with this nonsense. We're all out of vodka. Let's go finish this game in the bedroom, shall we?"

Valery felt his arm being gently tugged in the direction of Boris' room. He no longer tried to protest, no longer wanted to resist. Once behind closed doors, they took turns removing the remnants of what lay between them, and spent the rest of the day with no boundaries between them. Only skin against skin.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you enjoyed this humble endeavor!


End file.
